Cannabis: Reclassification (Hansard, 21 July 2004)

§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)
My Lords, we are working with police forces to monitor the policing of drug offences since cannabis was reclassified. Initial feedback from police forces is highly encouraging. Police time can be redeployed to tackling class A drug dealing offences. Young people have learnt of the legal change through government radio and newspaper advertising—93 per cent of under-18s now understand that cannabis is illegal. We have also started a health messages campaign to highlight the particular harms of cannabis.

§ Lord Cobbold
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that encouraging response. It is important that there has not been the wild increase in cannabis use as a result of the reclassification that many people feared. Do the Government now fully accept the merits of separating the use of cannabis from the hard drug culture? If so, will the Government now favourably consider further moves towards the decriminalisation of cannabis or, at the least, to the full implementation of the recommendations on cannabis contained in the Runciman report on drugs and the law?

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, first, I agree with the noble Lord that there has not been an increase in the use of cannabis. In fact, the slight decrease that we have seen since 1998 has continued. Of course, this is an important change. I cannot say that the Government intend to move further on the matter until we see the results confirmed that we are heading in the right direction.

§ Lord McNally
My Lords, although we on these Benches supported the reclassification of cannabis, we also pressed that government attention should be applied to dealers, money launderers and others up the criminal chain. Does the Minister have any evidence yet of increased prosecutions in those areas?

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal
My Lords, we are monitoring those figures. The signs are very encouraging. The release of police time from policing the cannabis issue has enabled us to concentrate on class A drugs and other matters. We hope to come forward relatively quickly with figures that I hope will give the noble Lord considerable pleasure.

§ Lord Brookman
My Lords, we on these Benches are very pleased with the Government's approach to antisocial behaviour and their attempt to address the yob culture phenomenon. Is the Minister confident that the reclassification of cannabis will help those important steps?

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal
My Lords, as a result of anti-social behaviour legislation we were able to take very aggressive action in closing down crack houses. The powers have proved successful. They have been used on more than 100 occasions nationally, making a particularly effective impact in areas such as Hackney in London, as well as Bristol, Nottingham and Middlesbrough; so they have been very successful indeed.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, is depression one of the dangers of taking cannabis?

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal
My Lords, there are a number of dangers in taking any illicit drugs. I would not like to identify depression alone. We clearly maintain that cannabis is an illicit and dangerous drug. That is why we have kept the classification as it is.

§ Lord Tomlinson
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that a number of her noble friends were very unhappy with the way in which cannabis was reclassified? For example, there was a lack of notice and it was brought to this House without proper explanation of the benefits of the experiment taking place in Lambeth. Will the Minister now undertake to ensure that when all the statistics to which she has referred have been collected that evidence can be very clearly given to the House so that we can see whether there is a causal link between reclassification and the effect of consumption on class A drugs?

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal
My Lords, I absolutely understand the importance of collecting those data. We have made it clear that we wish to collate those data and identify whether, thematically, there are things that we need to do. I can assure my noble friend that we are very anxious for those data to be shared.